My Maternity Wardrobe – the Second Time Around

During my last pregnancy, I spent lots of time staring longingly at my non-maternity clothes. I knew why they didn’t fit (huge baby belly plus a little extra “maternal storage tissue”), but that didn’t make it any easier to look at them for 6+ months.

I’ve always struggled with weight issues. About 11 years ago, after my weight peaked at somewhere over 200 pounds. (I never found out how much I weighed exactly because I didn’t want to know.) I came to a point when I decided to make some big changes. I started working out and modified my diet. As a result, I lost about 40-45 pounds. I still remember the first time I slipped on a pair of size 12 pants. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d been a 12. Ultimately, my body settled comfortably into being a size 10.

Over the last decade, I gained and lost 10 or so pounds here and there. With my son, I gained 40 pounds and then lost about 60. After weaning him, some of that weight started to creep back on and I was diligently working my Weight Watchers program to shed those pounds when I found out that I was pregnant with baby #2.

I decided to approach my closet in a completely different way during this pregnancy. I was intrigued by this idea of a “capsule wardrobe”. (You can read all about them here.) The basic idea is to hone your wardrobe down to about 40 pieces you really love and know fit you perfectly, and only wear those pieces for a season (about 3 months). Once that season is finished, you create another capsule wardrobe.

Once I went into maternity pants full-time, I packed away everything that didn’t fit. Everything. I bought 4 cardboard boxes from Lowes and put it all away. I also put away boots and shoes I knew that I wouldn’t wear in my third trimester.

It was awesome.

Walking into my closet and knowing that every single piece in there fits me was a terrific feeling. And I also found that with fewer options, getting dressed was faster and I learned how to wear things multiple ways. It was a great experiment for me.

Here are some things I found helpful in dressing for my pregnancy with style:

Use accessories – I use scarves and chunky necklaces to dress up what would otherwise be, really boring outfits. I also continued to wear my non-maternity cardigans for layering and pops of color.

Be comfortable – Being pregnant isn’t always comfortable, why wear clothes that make that feeling worse? I invested in several maternity dresses, maternity tops/tunics and stretchy black pants and well-fitted jeans to stay comfortable, but still look stylish (and not like I’d just rolled out of bed).

Belly bands and camis – I found that my maternity pants fit me differently as my belly grew. When I was smaller (only 15-20 weeks), a belly band helped hold my pants up until I really grew into them. I also really liked these maternity camis from Target and wore them my entire pregnancy.

What did you find most challenging about your wardrobe when you were pregnant? What tips did you find most helpful?